For one woman who donated for fire victims at the Greater Shepparton bushfire donation drop-off centre on Wednesday, January 14, it was a situation that had been all too familiar to her from the other side not all that long ago.

The Greater Shepparton woman, who didn’t wish to be named, not all that long ago was herself the victim of a natural disaster.

She lost her Rochester home in the 2022 floods and was on the receiving end of donations by generous community members.

This time, it was her turn to help.

She dropped off toiletries and sanitary items — things she has desperately needed during the floods.

She also brought cat litter — something that she had needed but had to go and find herself while having nowhere to live.

“I was displaced for 10 months,” she said of her time after the floods.

“I know how much (donations) meant for me when I was there.

“It meant you could take a breath.

“When this (the fires) happened, I thought, this is my chance to give.”

Shepparton orchardist Selim Shaholli was another of those to go through the donation drop-off centre at the Shepparton Showgrounds with 48 slabs of water on the back of his ute.

“It’s not much with what everyone is going though,” he said modestly.

Mooroopna’s Jay Kuiper was another, dropping off toiletries, dog food and bottles of water.

“I thought it was the right thing to do,” he said.

Other stories saw one couple leave a pallet of dog and cat food worth $600 to help out.

Colleagues at a business banded together to buy slabs of soft drink.

Council only put out the word about the donation centre on Tuesday, with goods being taken on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday night, 24 pallets were taken to the Seymour Relief Centre to help fire-affected victims as well as firefighters who were still fighting the Longwood fires.

Mayor Shane Sali said donations had slowed a little on Thursday, but there was still plenty being collected.

He thanked those who donated, saying that in the initial stages after a disaster such as this, those who needed help could not afford to wait for government help.

“In these emergency circumstances you have to act quickly and it has to be a co-ordinated response,” he said.

“I’ve been blown away, but not surprised, at the response by the community.”

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Thursday, 20th April 2023

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